Combination keyless lock



. G. E. THUM.

COMBINATION KE YLESS LOCK.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 29, 1920.

1 ,437,028 Patented. Nov. 28, 1922,

5] wuawito z [Mag WE mm FM Patented Nov, 28, 1922,

GEORGE E. TI-I UM, 0F ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY.

COMBINATION KEYLESS LOCK.

Application filed January 29, 1920. Eeriai No. 354,791.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE E. THUM, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of Elizabeth, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combination Keyless Locks, of which the following is a full, clear, and eXact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make, construct, and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to numerals of reference marked thereon, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in combination keyless locks, and has more particular reference to that type in which a plurality of dials co-act with a shackle, which together with the dials are provided with interlocking parts adapted for co-operation, so that upon proper manipulation of the dials said interlocking parts will either be engaged or disengaged, as will be more fully described hereinafter.

The invention has for a further object to provide dials which are counterparts in construction and are superimposed one upon the other, whereby the number of dials can be readily increased or decreased so as to vary the complexity of the operation, it being obvious that when the lock is designed to safe-guard matters of importance the dials are increased so as to obviate the proper manipulation of the dials by unauthorized parties.

With this end in view, my invention consists in certain novelties of construction and arrangements of parts, as hereinafter set forth and pointed out in the claims. lVhile the preferred forms are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, yet it is to be understood that minor changes may be made without departing from the scope thereof.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 represents, a top plan view of a lock embodying my invention.

Figure 2 represents, a section taken on line 22 of Figure 1, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Figure 3 represents, a plan view of the bottom plate.

Figures 4, 5 and 6 represent similar views of the dials.

Figure 7 represents, a perspective view of a stud designed to be secured to the bottom plate; and

Figure 8 represents, a similar view of the shackle.

Similar numerals of reference refer to like parts throughout the specification and drawings.

My improved lock consists essentially of a base or support 1, preferably of metal, circular in shape and provided with a central aperture 2 of irregular shape, designed to receive the squared end 3 of the stud 4 illustrated in Figure 7 of the drawings, and to which the same is rigidly secured after the dials 5, 6 and 7 have been rotatively secured thereon.

The stud 4: is provided with an enlarged head 8 the underside of which rests upon the upper side of the dial 7, and is further provided on one side with a slot 9 which extends lengthwise through one side of said stud. 10 represents a circular casing or bezel, the underside of which is provided with a plurality of preferably pointed prongs 11 designed when the parts are in the position illustrated in Figure 2 of the draw1 ings to pass through the circumferentially arranged slots 12in the base or support 1 and thereafter clinched over on the under side of the flap 13 thereby securing the lock in itsoperative position upon the flap 13 of a mail bag.

Eaclrdial 5, 6 and 7 is provided with a central aperture i l provided with a notch 15, and the dials .6 and 7 are each provided with an integral. finger piece extending upwardly from the peripheral edge thereof. The dial 5 is provided. with a similar finger piece 16 formed a short distance in from its peripheral edge. in order to clear the inwardly extending flange 17 formed on the top of the bezel 10 when said dial is rotated.

As is common in ordinary combination l'zeyless locks, I provide the rotatable dials with suitable characters of indication and the bezel with a pointer 18, so that with the proper combination in mind the operator can move the dials with certainty to their proper positions when the unlocking operation is begun.

T he shackle 19 represented in Figure 8 of the drawing is preferably made from a single piece of suitable metal provided at its lower end with the two oppositely bent extensions QO -QO by means of which the shackle is secured to the body 21 of the mail bag in any convenient manner. One

.ec ge of the shackle is provided with a notch 22 and the metal adjacent the upper side of the notch is partly cut away to provide a head designed to project above the uppermost dial '7 as clearly shown in Figure 2 of the drawing.

As previously stated the shackle 19 by means of the extensions 20 is secured to the body 21 of the i 'iil bag, and when the parts are in the position indicated in Figures 1 and 2 of'the dra ings, the device is shown unlocked, the shackle being located in the central stud with the edge 2% thereof engaging the bottom 25 of the slot 9 of the stud, and the edge 26 of the head 23 lying suiliciently inside of the bottoms 2'? of the aligned notches 15 in the dials 5, '5 and 7.

in operation the dials 5, 6 and T are rotated, so as to bring their notches 15 in alignment with each other and with the slot 9 of the central stud at. The shackle is then inserted into the slot 9 and through the notches 15 of the several dials, whereupon the latter are rotated to any desired position so as to move the notches 15 out of alignment or registry with the head 23 of the shackle, and thereby preventing removal of the same.

My lock is adapted for use in connection with. any type of fastening means in which a movable shackle is employed, and While I have herein shown a construction capable of carrying out the several functions assigned thereto, yet I reserve the right to make such alterations and changes in the details of con struction as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

' It will thus be seen that I have provided. a device of the character described, in which I have reduced the actual number of parts to a niinimmiuand that when assembled, and. in position upon a mail bag or other device, the possibilities of the parts becoming separated by careless manipulation have also been reduced to a minimum. The parts are of such shape as to lend themselves readily to; manufacture by the use of suitable punches and dies from ordinary sheet metal.

Experience has demonstrated that the organization above described is a highly efficient-one, and while I have shown the preferred embodiment of my present invention, 1 do not wish to beliinited to the exact details of construction shown and described, as

obvious modifications thereof, not involving the exercise of invention, may be made by any skilled mechanic, and such departures from what is herein set forth, I consider within the scope and terms of my claims.

laying thus fully described my invention, 1 claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A lock comprising a base provided with plurality of circumferentia-lly arranged slots, a casing provided with a plurality of circumferentially arranged integral prongs adapted to have locking engagement with said base, a cylindrical stud provided with an enlarged head centrally carried by and secured to said base provided with a slot extending lengthwise therethrough, a plurality of superimposed apertured dials successively increasing in diameter and each provided with a notch for engagement with a shackle rotatively mounted upon said stud, and a shackle made from a single piece of suitable fiat material adapted to pass through the slot in said stud and provided with locking means for locking engagement with the dials, said shackle being further provided with integral securing means for securing it to a or the like. i

2. A lock comprising a base provided with a plurality of circumferentially arranged slots. a casing provided with a plurality of circumferentially arranged integral prongs adapted to have locking engagement with said base, a cylindrical stud centrally-carried by and secured to said base provided with a slot extending lengthwise therethrough, a plurality of superimposed apertured dials successively increasing in diameter and each provided with a notch in engagement with a shackle rotatively mounted upon said stud, said dials being provided with suitable characters of indication and means formed on said dials for opei ating the same and a shackle made from a single piece of suitable lat material adapted to pass through the slot in said stud and provided with locking means forlocking engagement with the dials, and further provided with integral securing means for securing it to a bag or the like.

This specification signed and witnessed this 22nd day of January, 1920.

GEORGE E. T HUTM. lVitnesses FERDINAND NoLL, Fennn C. FIsoHER. 

